Mechanical apparatus to inject fluids into wells in batches



May 5, 1953 J. A. CLAY, JR

MECHANICAL APPARATUS TO INJECT FLUIDS INT0 WELLS IN BATCHES ,3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 26, 1948 JNVENToR. JAMES A. CLAY,JR.

Arron/viv J. A. CLAY. JR MECHANICAL APPARATUS TO INJECT FLUIDS INTO WELLS IN BATCI'VIS May 5, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed oct. 2s, 1948 JNVENToR. JAMES A.C LAY, JR.

kada/aon, ATTaQA/EYS Patented May 5, 1953 MECHANICAL APPARATUS TO INJ ECT FLUIDS INTO WELLS IN BATCHES James A. Clay, Jr., Fort Worth, Tex.

Application October 26, 1948, Serial No. 56,506

3 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for feeding chemicals or other uids into oil, gas or water wells, and more particularly to an apparatus whereby an oil, gas or Water well may be treated with a chemical solution or uid in batches, the batches being supplied periodically to the well under treatment. I

There are many conditions affecting wells that -require the use of small' amounts of chemicals daily. Wells may be subject to paranin accumulations which require solvents for their removal; wells may be subject to scaling conditions such as accumulations and deposits of carbonates, sulphates, and the like, which require daily injection of chemicals to control. Many wells are subject to corrosion of subsurface equipment and said corrosion may be mitigated through the use of chemical inhibitors injected daily; and some well iluids are produced in an emulsiiied form and the emulsions produced may be broken through the use of chemical compounds injected daily.

f `rThe methods heretofore used to accomplish the above have depended upon one of two types of systems: (l) A chemical injecting apparatus which is capable of injecting up to live gallons a day7 but which does so substantially a drop at a time. This method has proven unatisfactory many times because of the fact that insufficient fluid is injected at any one moment to allow it to reach the bottom of the well. The fluid injected clings to the walls of the subsurface equipment and therefore does not reach the bottom of the well. (2) An apparatus to inject iluids into wells in batches which, however, requires the attendance of one or more persons to manually manipulate the apparatus. rIhis introduces the human element, and such apparatus has been proven unsatisfactory.

v A prime purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatusfwhich will mechanically and automatically treat wells with fluids or chemicals in batches without depending upon a person or persons for daily attendance.

` Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus for delivering substantial charges of chemical solution or other `huid at periodic intervals to an oil well, gas well, water well, or thelike, said apparatus being very simple in'construc'tion, reliable in operation, and

improvedautozmatic apparatus forI injecting batches of chemical solution or the like at periodic intervals into an oil, gas or water well, said apparatus being easy to install, being rugged in construction, and furnishing accurately metered charges of material in substantial volume at the desired regular intervals to the well being treated.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a portion oi" the pumping mechanism of an oil Well, equipped with a mechanism for periodically Afur-- nishing batches of fluid to the well constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan schematic view of the batch injecting' mechanism employed in the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged top plan View of the batch injecting mechanism with the top cover of the cam box removed.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 4--4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional detail view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3. x

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional View taken on lin 6 6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 'I-'I of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, I I designates a well provided with a conventional pumping apparatus I2 which includes an oscillating walking beam I3 pivoted to the top portion of a fulcrum tower I4. Designated at l El is a storage tank containing the fluid to be injected into the Well. Tank I5 is supported at a substantial elevation on a suitable stand or frame I6.

Designated at I'I is a housing supported on the ground adjacent frame I6. Mounted on the top of housing Il is a metering tank I8, said tank I8 being below the level of the storage tank I5. EX- tending from the bottom portion of metering tank I8 is a first conduit I9 which leads to the well bore II, said conduit I 9 passing through housing Il. Conduit I9 is provided with a rst valve 26 in housing Il and a manual valve 2| located between valve 26 and well Il externally of housing Il.

Extending from the bottom portion of storage tank` I5 to conduit I9 ahead of valve 20 is `a second conduit 22 which is provided inside of-hous ing I'I with a second valve 23 similar to valve 20. Connected to the upper portion of tank I3 and extending through housing I'I is a third or vent conduit 24 which communicates with the atmosseated on the partition in covering relation to said opening is a valve disc 3| carried by a vertically movable valve rod 32 slidably supportedfor vertical movement in the upper portionof valve body 28. Valve body 28 is formed with a yoke portion 33 through which valve rod 32 slidably passes, said rod having secured thereto a collar 34. Encircling rod 32 isa coiled spring 35 which bears between yoke 33 and collar 34, biasing rod 325downwardly whereby valve disc 3l is urged to a seated position on partition 29, closing oil" the opening 30, as shown in Figure '1. Each valve rodi 32- Ais formed at its top end with a head 36. Housing i1' isy divided by a partition wall 31 into'tszvoA compartments indicated respectively at 3 3 and 39, the valves 23, 2I'.I-y 21 and 25 being locatedi-n compartment 33. Secured transversely incoinparltment 38 is a shaft 40, and rotatably secured to said shaft are the respective valve levers 4I., 42, 43 and 44. The right ends of the levers, asviewed in Figures 3 and 4, are formed with apertures 45 receiving the respective valve rods 32y of.' the valves 23, 20., 21` and 25, the heads 36 of sadrodsbearing on the upper surfaces of saiddevers, whereby counterclockwise rotation cf the levers, as viewed in Figure 4, raises the valve rods and opens the valves. Thesprings 35 normll'y maintain the valves in closed positions.

. Designatedv at. 46 is a shaft journall'ed' transversely in housing I1 and extending through both compartments 38. and 39,. overlying the left ends of the levers 4I, 42, 43y and 44y asf viewed in Figuns; :tand` 4. Shaft 46v carries the respective first, second, third, fourth cams- 41, 48, 49 and ouerlyingthe endsof the respective levers 4I, 42, 43 and 44. In compartment 39 shaft 46 carries. a worm gear I. Journalled vertically in compartment 3,9. is-l a. shaft 52 carrying a Worm 53 meshingwith wormgear 5I, and also carrying a wormgear 5.4.Y Journalled transversely in compartrnent 39 is av shaft 55. carrying a worm 56 meslung. with worm; gear 54, and also carrying a ratchet; wheel 5.1; Rotatably mounted in the rear wallof compartment 39 androtatably receiving shari-1h55. isv a; sleeve memberv 58v provided with a resilient pawl arm 59 which engages. the toothed periphery of wheel 51..` Sleeve 58` is also provided with anextcrnal rigid arm 60 which is connected by alink, rod 6I towalking beam I3. Oscillation ofvr said Walking beam is transmitted by rod 6I and; arm 6I) through sleeve 58 to pawl arm 59, causing ratchet: wheel 51 to be rotated clockwise, asviewed. in Figure 5, eaclitimewalking beam I3 osollates counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 1L.. Pivotally secured to the rear `wall of compartmont'. 39.1is a depending ratchet dog 62 engaging the toothed periphery of wheel 51 to prevent said wheel; from. rotating: counterclockwise, as viewed il'lzfiguler The. intermittent clockwiserotation ofl wheel 511, vieWed in Figure 5, is transmitted through shaftfiiito-worm 56, causing'worm gear 54 and worm` 53 to be rotated counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 3. rotates gear 5I coun- 4 terclockwise, as viewed in Figure 5, causing shaft 46 to be similarly rotated. Said shaft therefore is rotated at a substantial reduction in speed as compared with the rate of oscillation of walking beam I3.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, it will be seen that the eccentric cams 41, 48, 49 and 50 are related in phase as follows: Cams` 41 and 49 are identical in phase andengage the levers 4I and 43 simultaneously to produce simultaneous opening and closing of the valves 23 and 21. Cam 4l lags behind cams 41 and 49 by a substantial angle whereby it engages lever 42 after valves 23. and21 are. closed, to thereby produce opening and closing of the valve 20. Cam 50 lags behind cam 48' by a substantial angle, whereby it engages lever 44 after valve 20 has closed thereby opening and closing the valve 25. Therefore, as shaft lili rotates, the following sequence of operations occurs:

l. ValvesV 23 and 2.1- open. llu'dv ilows. from storage tank I5 through conduits 22 andl lfinin metering tank i8. Gas displaced from. the upper portion of metering tank I8l flows throughI con.- duits241and26 into the upper portion of tant I5, permitting the iluid toy ll the meteringtank:

2. Valves 23 and 21 close.

3- Valve Eli,- opens and drains fluid from metering tank I8 'through Conduit I9. into the well' head opening, Il, the manual valve,V 2 Iv having been previously setin open position.

4. ValveZ, closes.

5. Valve 25 opens and blows off to atmosphere through vent conduit 24 any gases that mayhave passed from the well into the metering Il while valve 20vwas Open.

6. Valve 2.5clcses.

7:. The abovev operation repeats. itselfatperiodic intervals determined by the rate ofA oscillartion of walking beam I3 and the speed reduction ratio provided by the above described mecha@ msm.

Tank I8 is preferably provided at. itsI topwall with` an air intake check; valve 63 to prevents vacuum from forming in the upper portion. or the metering` tank while the fluid isl draining. from said tank into the wellheadopening.

While a specic embodiment of an apparatus for feeding chemicalsY or other fluids into oil, gas', or water wells in periodic batches of substantial volume4 hasA been. disclosed in. the foregoingy def` scription, it will beunderstood thatvarious modifcations within the spirit of the invention. may occur to.I those skilledv in the4 art. Therefore itis intended that-nolimitations be placed. onfthez invention except asdened by the scope of theappendedclaims.

What is claimed'is:

l. A liquid feeding apparatus comprising an upstanding support, a storage tanky mounted upon said support, a metering tank arranged below said storage tank, a ilrst conduit having one end connectedv to the lower portion of saidV metering tank and havingV the other end adapted for connection to a confined' space, a'second conduit having one end connected to the lower` portion of said storage tank and havngthe other. endconnected to said ilrst conduit adjacent said one end thereof', a third conduit having one end con? neotedj to the upper portionr of said' metering tank'and having the other end adapted to come municate with the atmosphere, a fourth'condult having one end, connected to theupper .portion ofv said'storage tank and having' the other end connectedv to said third conduitintermediatel the ends of the latter, a rst openable and closable valve in said first conduit intermediate the ends thereof, a second openable and closable valve in said second conduit intermediate the ends thereof and positioned in aligned lateral relation with respect to said rst valve, a third openable and closable valve in said third conduit intermediate the ends thereof and positioned in aligned lateral relation With respect to said second Valve, a fourth openable and closable valve in said fourth conduit intermediate the ends thereof and positioned in aligned lateral relation with respect to said third valve, a rotatable shaft, first, second, third and fourth cams arranged in spaced relation along and carried by said shaft, said rst and third cams being identical in phase and being connected respectively to said second and fourth valves to simultaneously open and close in sequence the latter valves, said second cam being of a different phase than said first and third cams and being connected to said first valve to open and close in sequence the latter valve after the sequential opening and closing of said second and fourth valves, said fourth cam being of a different phase than said second cam and that of said first and third cams and being connected to said third valve to open and close in sequence the latter valve after the sequential opening and closing of said first valve.

2. A liquid feeding apparatus comprising an upstanding support, a storage tank mounted upon said support, a metering tank arranged below said storage tank, a first conduit having one end connected to the lower portion of said metering tank and having the other end adapted for connection to a confined space, a second conduit having one end connected to the lower portion of said storage tank and having the other end connected to said rst conduit adjacent said Yone end thereof, a third conduit having one end connected to the upper portion of said metering tank and having the other end adapted to communicate with the atmosphere, a fourth conduit having one end connected to the upper portion of said storage tank and having the other end connected to said third conduit intermediate the ends of the latter, a first openable and closable valve in said first conduit intermediate the ends thereof, a second` openable and closable valve in said second conduit intermediate the ends thereof and positioned in aligned lateral relation with respect to said first valve, a third openable and closable valve in said third conduit intermediate the ends thereof and positioned in aligned lateral relation with respect to said section With respect to said third valve, a rotatable shaft, first, second, third and fourth cams arranged in spaced relation along and carried by said shaft, said first and third cams being idensequence the latter valve after the sequential opening and closing of said second and fourth valves, said fourth cam being of a different phase than said second cam and that of said first and third cams and being connected to said third valve to open and close in sequence the latter valve after the sequential opening and closing of said rst; valve, and means operatively connected to said shaft for producing the rotation of the latter to effect in sequence the opening and closing movements of the respective valves.

3. A liquid feeding apparatus comprising an upstanding support, a storage tank mounted upon said support, a metering tank arranged below said storage tank, a rst conduit having one end connected to the lower portion of said metering tank and having the other end adapted for connection to a confined space, a second conduit having one end connected to the lower` portion of said storage tank and having the other end connected to said first conduit adjacent said one end thereof, a third conduit having one end connected to the upper portion of said metering tank and having the other end adapted to communicate With the atmosphere, a fourth conduit having one end connected to the upper portion of said storage tank and having the other end connected to said third conduit intermediate the ends of the latter, a first openable and closable valve in said first conduit intermediate the ends thereof, a second openable and closable valve in said second conduit intermediate the ends thereof and positioned in aligned lateral relation With respect to said first valve, a third. openable and closable valve in said third conduit intermediate the ends thereof and positioned in aligned lateral relation With respect to said second Valve, a fourth openable and closable valve in said fourth conduit intermediate the ends thereof and positioned in aligned lateral relation with respect to said third valve, a rotatable shaft, rst, second, third and fourth cams arranged in spaced relation along and carried by said shaft, said rst and third cams being identical in phase and being connected respectively to said second and fourth valves to simultaneously open and close in sequence the latter valves, said second cam being of a different phase than said first and third cams and being connected to said first valve to open and close in sequence the latter valve after the sequential opening and closing of said second and fourth valves, said fourth cam being of a different phase than said second cam and that of said first and third cams and being corinected to said third valve to open and close in sequence the latter valve after the sequential opening and closing of said first valve, and an oscillating means operatively connected to said shaft for producing the rotation of the latter to effect in sequence the opening and closing movements of the respective valves.

JAMES A. CLAY, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name y Date 1,075,261 Kilburn Oct. 7, 1913 1,645,686 Brady Oct. 18, 1927 1,737,248 Kelley Nov. 26, 1929 2,047,414 Henry July 14, 1936 2,163,436 Raymond et al. June 20, 1939 

